Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: Home of the Braves, by David Klass

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home_braves_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

David Klass, renowned author and screenwriter, has written multiple books specifically for young adults. He specializes in creating teenage characters that are searching for answers on difficult issues relating to pressures of society and individual worth. He brings his characters alive and you are drawn into their troubles along with them. If you are looking for a book that dives into the reality of teenage life at high school, Home of the Braves by David Klass is the book for you.

Bullies, jocks versus nerds, first crushes and figuring out who you really are fill this novel with multiple themes. Joe Brickman, the main character, attends Lawndale High School in a typical New Jersey town. As captain of the soccer and wrestling team during his senior year, Joe feels that this is the year to make a statement. He is the starting sweeper of the Varsity soccer team and he finally feels ready to ask out his closest friend, Kris. Things begin to crumple all around when Antonio Silva arrives as a transfer student from Brazil and brings about conflict and anger in Joe and the school.

Tension starts early between Joe and Antonio when Antonio and Kris start going out. This is Joe’s best friend, and “the thought of the two of them together was killing [him]” (71), especially since he was finally getting up the nerve to ask Kris out himself. To make matters ever worse, Joe’s coach asks Joe to have Antonio be co-captain of the soccer team. Joe is furious with his coach’s recommendation, since he has worked so long to achieve the captain’s armband, and Antonio could receive it so quickly. Joe feels threatened and angry, “The day he puts on a captain’s armband is the day I take mine off” (160), and then he walks away. Joe’s negative feelings for Antonio keep increasing, and Klass does a superb job of delving into Joe’s thoughts and feelings on the matter.

In addition, not only is Antonio making Joe frustrated, but he is also causing internal conflict within the school. There is an agreement between the students at Lawndale High School that they must “bow down” to the football jocks, who control the school. Both Ed “he mouse,” Joe’s best friend, and Antonio refuse to obey this “rule.” This causes the Jocks to take action and violence erupts at the school. The Administration then enacts a “Zero Tolerance” policy at the school, which frustrates and angers many of the students.

Finally, things start to look up for both Joe and the school when their soccer team makes the play-offs. Antonio has been a key player in bringing the school team so far and many are ready to forget the past. However, at the last minute, a twist in the plot occurs and things change dramatically. You will have to read the book to see how it ends.

Home of the Braves keeps the reader engaged throughout the entire novel. It is a well-written book with suspense, violence, and romantic drama that appeals to numerous age levels. I would recommend this book for middle school and high school aged students who are looking for an action packed book.

-Chase R., 7th grade

Book Review: Airman, by Eoin Colfer

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airman_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

Have you ever wanted to fly like a bird? If you read Airman your wishes will be granted. Eoin Colfer so vividly describes the feeling of flight through the air, you will feel like you are right there next to Conor as he soars through the night air; in his dreams and his future. This amazing author first became known through the best-selling Artemis Fowl series, which fame cast his other books into the shadows. It was left for the chosen few to find that hidden jewel, Airman.

I really enjoyed reading the book because it revolves around one boy split in two, so it is like reading about two different characters. First we follow brilliant young Conor Broekhart as he trains with his French mentor to gain mastery  in academics including extracurricular such as swordsmanship, but mainly aviation. “Conor was born to fly, or more accurately, was born flying” (7). His obsession took root at the very moment he was born, more than a hundred feet off the ground in a quickly plummeting hot air balloon. Conor starts off life like this, but after being falsely accused for a crime he did not commit, he becomes someone else.

Conor Broekhart becomes Conor Finn. A pirate criminal who has no family, friends, or anyone to love. He has nothing to hope for but being top dog in the insanity ward. His many trials as Conor Finn include staying alive from Otto Malarkey’s daily beatings, stashing the diamonds he is mining away from the guards, and escaping from the Little Saltee, a heartless rock-hewned jail. “Right was Great Saltee, wrong was Little Saltee(44).”

Conor Finn’s new closest, and only, friend and mentor on Little Saltee is a blind musician, Linus Wynter, who is also my favorite character. I love how Linus is portrayed by Eoin because he is a man of such complexity described in the most simplistic way. Linus is the only reason Conor lasted longer than 24 hours in prison. He served as the guide to Conor’s success and escape. Mr. Wynter got his eyes removed via hot poker after being caught spying on an Indian camp, but continued spying anyway. He is actually a spy for the good King Nick himself, whom Conor greatly trusted and admired.

The world that Eoin Colfer so truthfully describes in Airman fills your head with  the dangers of our modern world. This intricately spun plot incorporates every human emotion you can dream of from horror to elation. In a renaissance like-time period of innovation in the world, Great Saltee is at the top of the curve, thanks to Conor Finn, aviator extraordinaire.

Airman is a constant race with good against evil, Conor Broekhart against Conor Finn, And the Airman vs. Bonvilian. To find out the final secret in this heinous plot, you’ll just have to get your head out of the clouds, and read the book!

-Parker R., 7th grade

Book Review: Beowulf, A New Telling, by Robert Nye

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beowulf_coverBeowulf is believed to be the first piece of English literature ever to be written. It was originally composed as an epic poem. This version was adapted in the form of a short novel.

In the beginning of the novel, Beowulf travels to the land of the Danes, to visit the king, Hrothgar. Hrothgar’s hall, Hall Heorot, had been under attack from Grendel, an evil monster, for many years. Because of this constant threat that no one had yet ceased, Hrothgar was indifferent of Beowulf’s arrival and declaration to fight Grendel.
However, Hrothgar would soon find that Beowulf is no ordinary hero. To fight Grendel, he uses no sword and does not formulate a plan. Will Beowulf still be able to defeat the monster without these vital things?

After the death of one of Hrothgar’s men, and the mysterious disappearance of Unferth, another of Hrothgar’s men, Beowulf follows Grendel’s mother’s sickly spoor into the Fen, an evil, swamp-like area on the edge of the Hall. To fight Grendel’s mother, he has to dive deep into a bottomless pool, with blood bubbles floating to the surface. Deeper and deeper he swims, until he is grabbed by Grendel’s mother.

Beowulf then tries to repeatedly hit the monster, to no avail. He feels helpless at the hands of this monster. Is it still possible for Beowulf to kill this hideous monster? Or will his fear paralyze him?

Despite his reputation in the land of the Danes, Beowulf does not feel he belongs there, and journeys back to his homeland. Once there, he is asked to be king, an offer which he declines, not wanting to take the throne when there is still an heir.

For the next few years, he lives peacefully tending bees like he did as a child. However, when the young king is killed, he must take the throne. He leads the country into a time of peace, during which he continues to tend his bees.

However, one fateful day, a slave wanders into the mountains seeking treasure in a prince’s burial chamber. This causes the firedrake to become enraged and swell to an enormous size, preventing the animal from exiting the burial chamber. Once the firedrake calms his temper and ventures outside, the monster wreaks havoc on the nearby houses, setting them on fire.

Beowulf, being king, knows he must take action. This time, with help, he formulates a plan to defeat the firedrake. He sets his bees in front of the entrance to the cave and steps inside to carry out his plan. Will Beowulf’s strategy work? Will he survive his last exploit?

Before reading this book, I had not heard anything good about the story. However, I thought the book was suspenseful and a good read overall. I would rate this novel a 9 out of 10.

– Leila S., 8th Grade

Book Review: The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer

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house_scorpionThe House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer is a very interesting blend of science fiction and fantasy. It is a very powerful story that shocks its readers due to its graphic, and sometimes disturbing, subject matter. This book can be read by either gender, and anybody who reads this book will most likely enjoy it.  In it, a “boy” named Matteo Alcrán lives in a place between the United States and where Mexico once was.  But, Matteo is not really a boy. He is a clone harvested from the fields for the purpose of being a body part donor to rich elderly men.. Matteo is not any clone, however. He is the clone of the founder of Opium, an elderly man named El Patrón. Matteo is first raised by a worker of El Patrón’s, a woman named Cecelia, whom Matteo believes is his mother, because she loves him very much. One day when some children, relatives of El Patrón, find him and take him away, Matteo gets hurt and finds out the truth about himself.  El Patrón loves Matteo very much, and lets him live, grow up, and act like a normal boy. However, the rest of the Alcrán family, El Patrón’s relatives, do not like Matteo, and would like to see him dead.  Matteo is surrounded with bodyguards, who teach him the secrets of life.

By the time he turns 14, Matteo feels very special, and does not consider himself a clone anymore.  He then takes a turn for the worse, by ordering  slaves around and rudely demanding things of people. But when El Patrón become very sick, he needs a donor to give him a heart, and Matteo is chosen. However, something very surprising and shocking happens, and Matteo escapes, his head and heart confused and full of both betrayal and loyalty. Matteo is caught and brought to a harvesting plantation for boy orphans, where all the orphans do is harvest plankton, seaweed, and shrimp. The boys are given nothing to eat except plankton, and are treated horribly, until Matteo again escapes with the help of three boys named Ton Ton, Chacho, and Fidelito. They all struggle through the desert, until they finally arrive at a town, only to be greeted by the bosses at the orphanage, who try to kill them.  The boys overpower the men, and discover a very surprising ending, which will rivet anybody who reads this book. Overall, I highly recommend The House of the Scorpion for any teen.

-Will R., 8th grade

Book Review: Absolute Pressure, by Sigmund Brouwer

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absolute_pressure_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

Seeing color is normal, but what Ian does is not; he feels it. Whenever something touches certain spots on his body, a color fills his vision, but that’s not all; when he sees a particular girl’s face, he tastes blackberries. Ian has an odd, rare (1 in 2000), and very real condition called synesthesia, the joining of two senses. Interesting details like this help to make Absolute Pressure, by Sigmund Brouwer, an entertaining book. Sigmund Brouwer is a well-known writer and though he focuses mainly on children’s books, he has numerous adult books as well. His earliest books date at about 1990, and he has sold over 3 million copies of his books total. Absolute Pressure was written in 2009.

For Ian, a 17-year-old boy, scuba diving is his life. So every year he comes to Key West to stay with his uncle, Uncle Gord, who owns a dive shop there. Ian is and intelligent caring boy, who is calm under pressure, which you have to be while scuba diving. Because if you panic, you don’t think, and if you don’t think, you make mistakes, which can kill you. Ian has learned to live with his synesthesia and the fact that his dad left him.

So, Uncle Gord kind of took over the fatherly position for Ian, but as said by Ian, “Uncle Gord was more like an army sergeant than a father” (34). Uncle Gord is a tough man, but he cares for Ian. Things get complicated though what with Uncle Gord’s business declining and him not having enough money to keep the shop running for long.

One of the dive shop employees is Judd Warner. Judd is a fairly big, strong, and slightly secretive man. Judd has only worked in the dive shop for a few months. So it was surprising to me that he got to stick around while Uncle Gord laid off Ian and the other employee, Sherri.

I loved the plot of this story; it was very interesting and engaging. An important part was that Ian persuaded Judd to let him dive down to place a “treasure chest” for people to look for to increase business. He was on his way up from hiding the chest and the pressure valve breaks on his tank… He can’t control the air and has to swim as fast as he can up to the surface over 90 feet above him, a dangerous risk. Later, the thing that bothers him most is that valves like these don’t just break; upon further examination, he finds that someone had tampered with the valve. This could have killed him if he had not been outside of the wreck in which he hid the chest. If you want to find out who did it and why, you need to read the book.

This all takes place in Key West, the west most island of the Florida Keys. Ian describes it as “Where people can got to escape and live without being asked questions about their lives. Live-and-live kind of place” (68). It’s a fairly small city, with warm weather. Parts of it are busy and loud, while parts of it are quiet and peaceful.

I liked this book because of the plot. It was a page-turner in more than one way. Firstly, it had a plot that had me want to read just a bit further every time I put it down. Secondly, the book was below my reading level, I think so it was easy to read and went quickly. I had a tough time finding new vocab words, but I think you should read it just for fun, regardless of assignments.

-Jadie P., 7th grade

Book Review: First Test, By Tamora Pierce

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firsttest_coverGirls trying to be knights are not a new idea but, in the book, First Test, Tamora Pierce brings a whole new twist to it. The book is about the first year of Keladry of Mindelan’s page years as she works to become accepted for deciding to become the 2nd female knight in the medieval and fantastic realm,Tortall.

First Test is the first book of the Protector of the Small Quartet by Tamora Pierce. This series is only one of the many series that she has written.

The First Test is about Keladry of Mindelan, who is known as Kel, first year as a page. Kel tries to prove to pages’ training master, Lord Wyldon that she can do just as well as the other boys in training. Many people are against girls becoming knights and so she receives much pressure. On top of that she has to deal with the fact that she was raised in another part of the realm and has to adjust to the completely different Tortall culture. Her friend Nealan “Neal” of Queenscove helps her along the way.

First Test is a well written book. There is plenty of adventure and action in the story. The characters are well-developed and are believable. Kel, the main character, is not someone who seems unbelievably lucky or powerful. She in her own way does have fault and fears. This makes her connect more with the reader. This is the same with most of the characters. The author also incorporates things from other real life cultures and traditions.  Most authors who write in a medieval times setting usually take their ideas from Europe. Pierce actually incorporated some of the parts of the African culture and the Japanese culture into her story. This makes the story more interesting since there are more perspectives to see the story.

Overall this book is great for anyone who wants to have a strong girl protagonist as the main character. This has action and adventure as well. It might seem like a school story at first due to the very school like atmosphere of the page training but there is a whole lot more to it. The complete series itself, I would only recommend to older readers because it does deal with the maturing of girls, the changes they go through, and love. This is because of the growing age of the main character. This book is a good read for anyone, but there series is better for older readers. This is only my opinion. So read it for yourself and decide.

– Sarah J., 8th Grade

Book Review: Witch & Wizard, by James Patterson

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witch_wizard_coverWitch and Wizard by James Patterson is a page-turning book that keeps one hooked throughout the entire book and even after the thrill has ended.

Wisty and Whit Allgood are two teens who get kidnapped from their house in the middle of the night. They are taken away from all that they know with only a drumstick and an empty book. They soon get charged with being a witch and wizard and all that they love is taken away as they hear the news of their execution on their 18th birthday. When Whit accidently get his head stuck in the wall, their lives are changed forever.

The two kids learn of their powers and how to control them while bouncing from prison to prison. Wisty floats in her sleep, conjures up killer flies, and glows in the dark. Whit freezes animals and looks through portals into the Shadowland. They convert people, animals and judges into victims of their supernatural powers. Together they meet ghosts of a sort, portal jumping dogs, and others who had escaped the changes of their world, their home.

As a team, they grow their strength… but are they strong enough to start a revolution?

-Danielle T., 6th grade

Book Review: Monster, by Walter Dean Myers

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monster_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

Never in my life have I experienced what it is like in prison and in a court session. Walter Dean Myers made me feel like I saw everything that happened from spending nights in a prison cell to being accused of murder. The story takes place in a courtroom in the city of Harlem, New York, when Steve Harmon has been accused of murdering 55-year-old Alguinaldo Nesbitt and robbing his drug store. This book was written in the form of a film script along with some parts written as a journal entry of Steve’s life in prison.

Steve and his journal entrees are the main reason why I really enjoyed this book. These entrees take you inside the prison cells and show you what’s really behind those iron doors. “Two guys said they did [share a moment of prayer], and I was just about ready to say I would when Lynch, a guy who is going on trial for killing his wife, started cursing at the preacher and saying that everybody wanted to talk to him and act like they were good when they were all just criminals” (61). It’s moments like these are what made me want to continue reading this book.

James King is another character that you will come across in this book. King is the typical gang member who, in this book, planned the robbery and murdered the drug store clerk, Mr. Nesbitt. King is the one who encourages Steve that he should join in on this stick up which points out on of the major themes in this book, peer pressure.

Peer pressure is one of the three major themes of this book. Osvaldo Cruz, a young 14-year-old gang member of the Diablos, joins in on this felony all because of Richard “Bobo” Evans, the character who planned this robbery, who threatened and encouraged Osvaldo to tag along. Osvaldo then says that he only joined because he was scared of Bobo, but that did nothing.

Another theme in this book is the idea of what young black men in Harlem, New York are like. In the book it shows that Steve has these flashbacks that wanted to put in his movie, after all it is written in a film script format. In the many flash backs it shows what Steve has grown up with, from gang threats to experiences of what a ghetto town is like filled with poverty, fights and much more.

Introspection is the next theme. Throughout Steve’s journal entrees he really thinks about who he is at the moment, who he has become and who he truly is as well as what has and hasn’t done. “That is why I take the films of myself. I want to know who I am. I want to know the road to panic that I took. I want to look at myself a thousand times to look for one true image” (281). At the end of the book Steve’s question still hasn’t been answered.

The thing about this trial is that Steve knows that he isn’t guilty yet everyone thinks he is guilty. It seems as if the jury only thought he was guilty in a racist way; because of his skin color. The jury thinks that just because he is a young African-American boy he is more likely to have been apart of the crime. They say that everyone is innocent until proven guilty but in the eyes of the jury, it seems as if Steve is guilt until proven innocent.

The setting of the book is in the state of New York and the country of the United States where everyone is treated with equal rights. In a country like this, Steve should definitely be innocent until proven guilty. If you want to know what the jury has decided and what happens to Steve and King in Monster, you’re going to have to read the book for yourself.

-Justin M., 7th grade

 

Book Review: The Runaway King, by Jennifer A. Nielsen

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runawayking_coverVery similarly to the first book in the Ascendance trilogy, The False Prince, The Runaway King is a great book that is suitable for most ages. However, there tends to be a touch of violence, so it might be a tad more appropriate for ages 12 and up. Even though it contains a lot of action, it does have a few parts that will  make you laugh. It is a good book that combines adventure, mystery, and a good bit of humor.

If you have read the first book (see my review), you will know that the characters- mainly our hero, Sage- always managed to get into quite a bit of trouble. In this amazing sequel, their lives are in so much more danger than in the first book. Allies may be enemies and vice-versa! Secrets will be unveiled! The story unfolds quickly, not letting you escape, and things, whether good or bad, may be hiding around every bend!

I highly praise the author of the Ascendance trilogy, Jennifer A. Nielsen, for the wonders she has created for us  in the way of a book. It would be a real shame to miss out on this thrilling sequel. If you liked the first book, then you’ll love the second one. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and makes you hungry for more!

-Linna C., 6th grade

Book Review: Marie Dancing, by Carolyn Meyer

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marie_dancing_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

“Dancing was truly the only thing that mattered” (27).  Marie strives every day to accomplish her dream of performing at the Paris Opera House and floating across the dance floor. She is a beautiful and talented dancer and there is only one thing standing in the way of her dream: poverty. Marie Dancing is a exciting and interesting novel. The author, Carolyn Meyer, tells a wonderful story about a young dancer named Marie Van Goethem and her hardships growing up in Paris while carrying her family on her back. She weaves a captivating tale while staying true to the historical background and incorporating the famous painter, Edgar Degas. Carolyn Meyer has written many successful historical novels for young readers. She lives with her husband is Albuquerque, New Mexico and continues to publish best sellers.

Marie Van Goethem is a kind hearted teenager who puts everyone before herself. I love the way the author describes her hardships and every day her will to survive. Marie wakes up every day in a small rusted bed next to her other siblings. She is up at the crack of dawn starving her stomach hungry and not fed for several days. She walks by herself to her only joy in life: dance. All day she works hard, her dreams high and pointe shoes ratted. Despite her aching feet and limbs, she is determined to going. She gets home at dark to an unhappy family filled with sadness and despair. Her mother takes Marie’s hard earned money and spends it on liquor to soothe her sorrows. With all that is going on, Marie must take care of her younger sister, Charlotte, and provide for her what she needs. On her father’s death bed he asked her “You- my good, sweet dearest Marie I’m asking you to hold the family together” (25). Trying to live up to the promise she made to her father, Marie feels obligated to put her family’s needs before her own.

One day, Marie is at dance class gliding across the smooth floor when Monsieur Degas sees Marie and asks for her to model for him. This changes Marie’s luck. Perhaps she does finally have a chance as a prima ballerina. If she chooses to model for Degas, everything could change when Marie.  The money she would earn would allow her to follow her dreams and break free from her family. Marie finally agrees to model for Monsieur Degas, and he promises to make her ùne étoile- a star.

Marie over comes many challenges in the book; hunger, sadness, and many losses plague her day to day life. The book is a great read, but I feel that the author does not express Marie’s emotion very clearly. However, I fully recommended reading this book. In the book Marie Dancing I love how the author told some of the story in French. Therefore, reading this book actually ended up helping me learn some new vocabulary in French! I also really enjoyed how Carolyn Meyer used details of the scenery. I felt as if I were actually in Paris!

I fully recommend reading this book. The author captures all the fascinating elements of dance and the will to survive. This book is a heart warming book that had me wondering what was going to happen next. I plan to start reading more of Carolyn Meyer’s books over the summer.

-Grace L., 7th grade